Metallic plate for walls and ceilings of buildings, &amp;c.



yNo. 640,593. Patented lan. 2, |900.

- G. RUSSELL. METALLIC PLATE FUR WALLS AND CEILINGS 0F BUILDINGS, &.c.

(Application filed. Oct. 6, 4899.)

:ri: Nouan PETERS comuoruumn.. wAsHlNr-You, n. n

NITED ySTATES PATENT einen.

GEORGE RUSSELL, OF MCKEESPORT, PENNSYLVANIA.

METALLIC PLATE FOR WALLS AND CEILINGS 0F BUILDINGS, &c.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 640,593, dated January2, 1900.

Application tiled October 6, 1899. Serial N0- '732,309. (N0 model-l Toall whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE RUSSELL, a resident of McKeesport, in thecounty of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Metallic Plates for the lValls and Ceilings ofBuildings, the.; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description thereof. I

My invention relates to metallic plates for Walls and the ceilings ofbuildings, &c. Heretofore in the use of these metallic plates forinterior Wall and ceiling coverings the great objection has been onaccount of the irregularity in the surface of the metal caused bybuckles, hinges, tc., and in order to over.- come these objections ithas become necessary to emboss the metallic plates with variousornamental designs and figures, and while this removes theirregularities in the surface it also produces another very seriousobjection-viz., the embossed parts of themetallic plates being pressedout from the exterior of the plate leave numerous recesses, which act asshelves for the dust to accumulate thereon and be held there, especiallywhen used on walls. This is Well known to every observer and presents adusty appearance to the plates, as Well as an unsanitary condition, sopreventing these plates from coming into general use.

One object of my invention is to overcome these objections and toprovide a vcheap and simple metallic plate which has an interlock joint,so that it will lit any edge of the adjoining plates When they are oinedtogether.

Another object of my invention is to provide such a form of metallicplates Awhich when so arranged and placed in position 'with each otherthat they will be flush at the joint and present no overlapping orprojections whatever, and a still further object of my invention is toprovide such a form of metallic plates as will present a double-locking,interchangeable, dust, and waterproof sheathing.

My invention consists, generally stated, in the novelarrangement,construction,andcombination of parts, as hereinafter morespecifically set forth and described, and particularly pointed out inthe claims.

To enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertainstoconstruct and use view of the same. l gitudinal section throughseveral plates. Fig.

the metallic plates, I Willdescribe the same more fully, referring tothe accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is a front elevation ofaportion of a Wall or ceiling embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged face view of oneof the metallic plates. Fig. 4 is an enlarged rear Fig. 5 is an enlargedlon- 6 is an enlarged detail section of the joint of two plates.

Like letters herein indicate like parts in each of the figures of thedrawings.

My improved metallic plate for Walls and ceilings is shown at 1 and ispreferably formed of sheet metal having the exposed surface or face 2andv the back 3. This plate 1 is cut from a blank and is formed squarein shape, provided with the four sides 4, having the edges 5 thereon,and each corner 6 is cut at 7 at an angle and bent to shape to form thejoints 8. These joints 8 are made'in the form of an S-shaped fold on allthe four sides 4 of the plate 1, and such S-shaped fold forms a groove 9in each one of the joints 8, which The manner of constructing and usingmy improved metallic plates for the Walls and ceilings of buildings isas follows: The metallic plate 1 is cut from a blank of sheet metal inany suitable manner, and the corners 6 are cut at '7 into the plate soformed for a short distance at an angle, after which the plate 1 haseach one of the edges 5 on all four sides 4 bent back against the back 3in any suitable manner to form the joints 8, which have the grooves 9therein and the extensions 0r tongues 10 projecting out beyond the sides4 of the plate 1. The plate 1 is now ready to be enameled or paintedwith any suitable design on the face 2 thereof, afterwhich it can beheatedin any suitable manner to burn said IOO is necessary is to securea number of strips 11 upon the Wall or ceiling at suitable distancesapart to meet the joints 8 on two of the four sides 4 of the plates andsecure a number of cross-strips 12 between the strips 11, so arranged atsuitable distances apart that they will meet the joints 8 on the othertwo of the four sides 4 of the plates. The irst plate 1 in a row, suchas the one shown in the lower lefthand cornerof Fig. 1, can then beapplied and secured to said strips 1l and 12 by driving nails 13 throughthe tongues 10 of the joints 8 on two of the four sides 4 of the plate linto the strips 11 and 12, after which the next plate in the lowerhorizontal row can be secured to said first plate by inserting thetongue 10 on any one of the sides 4 into the groove 9 of the fjoint 8and driving nails 13 into the tongue lO of the joint 8 on the oppositeside of the second plate and into the strips 11. The next or third platecan be secured in like manner to the second plate and continued untilthe lower horizontal row is completed, after which the next or secondplate of the vertical row can be secured to the first plate by insertingthe tongue 10 of the joint 8 on one of its sides 4L into the groove 9 ofthe joint S in the first plate and driving nails 13 into the tongue 10on the opposite side 4: of the second plate from the tongue 10 in thegroove 9 of the first plate and such nails 13 entering the cross-strips12 of the wall or ceiling. After all the plates have been secured to thestrips 11 and 12 to form the wall or ceiling the exposed tongues 10 onall the joints S of the plates can be nailed or secured to the strips 1land 12 by the nails 13 and any suitable molding or covering strip placedover such exposed joints, and it is obvious that after the first plateis nailed or secured to the strips 11 and 12 the vertical row can bestarted from the same or the horizontal row, as desired. In the use ofthese plates for corner-pieces the plates are bent at right angles tofit within the corners of the wall or ceiling, and all the joints onsuch corner-plates are used. It is also obvious that strips can be runwithin a suitable distance of such corner-walls, to which thesecornerplates can be secured.

It will thus be seen that my improved metallic plate for walls andceilings of buildings, &c., is cheap and simple in its construction, andin its use the nails holding the joints are rendered invisible to theeye on account of the tongue of the next succeeding plate covering thetongue of the joint so nailed as such joint is completed. It will alsobe seen that all the joints connecting the plates are flush with eachother, so rendering them dust and water proof, as well as double-lockingand interchangeable. There are no overlapping or projections at thejoints of the plates and the joint of each panel or plate will fit anyside or edge of the adjoining panel or plate, so forming adouble-locking male and female joint. The particular form of jointemployed has also the advantage of bracing and j shrunk through theembossing process.

strengthening the panel or plate without requiring the embossing of theplates or the employment of dies and presses in the formation of suchembossing, and the use of such plate and joint is economical in the useof the metal, inasmuch that every part is utilized in giving the fullbenefit of its coveringsurface without requiring the metal to be Thisiush double male and female joint has also the advantage that when theplate is decorated it is almost impossible to see such joint except uponclose inspection of the same, and it has the further advantage ofbracing and strengthening the plate all around its edges, which is notobtained or possible on a single male and female joint, and it is alsoobvious that the plate can be made of any shape other than square, suchas Octagon and heXagon, tito.

Various modifications in the construction and design of the variousparts of my improved metallic plate for walls and ceilings may beresorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention orsacricing any of its advantages.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. As a new article of manufacture, a metallic plate for covering theWalls and ceilings of buildings, dto., formed of a plain equilateraloutline and having all of its sides provided with S-shaped folds to forma tongue-andgrooved joint, so that each plate connected thereto may beinterlocked at any one of said sides with another plate of similaroutline by the tongue on the side of one plate engaging with the groovein the opposite plate, and each of said plates being secured to thestructure to be covered. v

2. As a new article of manufacture, metallic plates for covering thewalls and ceilings of buildings, the., having a plain equilateraloutline of four side's'and all oli said sides being provided withS-shaped folds to Jcrm a tongue-and-grooved joint, so that each platemay be interlocked at any one of said sides with another of similaroutline by the tongue on the side of one plate engaging with the grooveon the side of the opposite plate, and each of said plates being securedtothe structure to be covered.

3. A sheathing or covering for the walls and ceilings of buildings,dac., consisting of metallic plates, each having a similar plainequilateral outline of four sides,-and each having such four sidesprovided with S-shaped folds to form tongue-and-grooved j oints,saidplates being secured to each other and to the surface to be covered.

In testimony whereof I, the said GEORGE RUSSELL, have hereunto set myhand.

GEORGE RUSSELL.

Witnesses:

J. N. COOKE, J. S. TREFALLIS.

IOO

IIO

